Image quality is a little hard to compare. The main thing is that everyone has a different calibrated monitor, so red is not always red, etc. E.g. we have one monitor calibrated with a calibration probe and the other two are just for numbers. We have up to 3 monitors connected to the computer, and we can see the differences. And of course it also depends on the subjective feeling of what someone likes, so we will not deal so much with color fidelity, even if it is visible.
We took a few photos of the same location with both cameras, although the TomTom Bandit generates higher resolution photos, so we scaled them down, but otherwise did not edit them in any way. At the end you will also find two video clips. At the end of the article you will also find a link to download videos in full quality. So let's get to it.
Always the first image will be TomTom Bandit and the second will be from GoPro Hero 4. Here you can see the presentation of color fidelity and the method of redrawing in depth. The surface on the stone is no longer so recognizable, GoPro somehow artificially brightens it. From the stone to the right, there is an abandoned plant on the rock, and in the photo from the TomTom Bandit you can also see flowers, while on GoPro you cannot see it, or the flowers are difficult to recognize.
On these we will focus on the depth of redrawing in details. From the original photos of the car, we focused on the bicycle on the roof. Notice in the photos from TomTom, the black is black and the white is whiter, so the lettering on the rear wheel casing is easier to read. Also, the inscription "Handmade in USA" is indecipherable on the photo by GoPro :(
Although we said that we will not focus on color fidelity, but the Go cameraPro it somehow artificially lightens and recalculates the colors. Sunset Rooftop Parking by GoPro it seems as if we took the picture in a cloudy midday. In the photo from TomTom, you can notice that the clouds are red, which is a common phenomenon at sunset.
In these night photos, you can see again that GoPro it explains artificially. It's wonderful to see it in the back lighting, or the lack of shadows in the left corner of the pool. At the same time, the light was yellow and the moon was white, which TomTom kept, but GoPro preserved a hint of yellow only in the ground floor corridor. With the yellow color, you can also see it in the first photos with flowers.
Make your own conclusions from the videos, but it's similar to the photos. Videos for download in full quality.
- You can buy the TomTom Bandit directly here
So this is a review by a pro who knows how image processing works with TomTom preference. Just the term "artificial lighting" is fascinating.
As an example, just look at the first photo where the stone structure is much better on GoPro and on TomTom the drawing is not legible, on the contrary, slight overshoots are visible and even aberrations are visible on the edges of the trees and the holder. The flowers are visible on both. The difference is more or less only in the color toning.
Last two images: TomTom has a more natural warm color tone, but again there is aberration on the moon and all the contrast edges. Noise is also not a strong point of TomTom. GoPro It looks cleaner and sharper. There is not a trace of aberration. The color can be adjusted quite easily.
I don't own either camera, but according to this, the winner is GoPro.
Thank you in advance to everyone involved. LSA they write articles and take care of the website. They have my big thanks, I read them every day LSA and I love it. But this really feels like a paid advertisement for TomTom.
Both cameras are certainly good and each has its own merits, it's like comparing a BMW and a Mercedes, which one is better? Each has its own quality, buyers and admirers.